Dominic Coath

You're right to call out the failings and the influence of fossil fuel lobbying but can we also celebrate the people out there fighting for environmental and social justice and what they achieve e.g. forging stronger links between climate and nature? Let's keep them motivated.

Blustery day, isn't it? Here's the National Grid: Live generation data. Wind and solar are generating 74.2% of our electricity. Gas is generating 13.1%. And yet our household electricity prices are pegged to... the volatile price of gas. Which is the basis on which the right attacks... renewables.

Curses, no I don't! I would say about half the size of a standard banana. Actually it is more likely to be a plum or is it that hogs don't eat a lot of fruit?

Found this last night. It's not my doggy as she doesn't eat cherries and I don't think it's fox as it doesn't really smell of anything much. Any ideas "PooSky". Is it hedgehog? @katebradbury.bsky.social @hedgehoghugh.bsky.social

How do we fix this mess?

More than 100,000 join Tommy Robinson rally, as counter-protesters demonstrate Nine people are arrested as the Met say extra officers have been deployed to deal with

900 peaceful, mainly older, protestors supporting Palestine arrested last week, out of 1000 demonstrators

Today, as fascists punch and kick police, just 9 arrests made

Two-tier policing in all its glory folks

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Hi Anna, this one is actually a male gatekeeper. Great photo!

Very good. Well done Nic!

Do you think Josh has been sniggering quietly to himself all day...?

It is The Snout in fact.

Yes that's right.

I don't think you can. I saw a sparrowhawk take a swift last year that was attracted to the tape lure. I made it drop it and the swift flew off!

You'll have to come over and see them and the colony in full voice now that the young birds are starting to arrive and making a nuisance of themselves trying to get into occupied eaves and being shouted out. Goes well with a glass of wine I find...

There are swift calling in the eaves. They are inches away from my sons head. He lies in the top bunk listening to them as he wakes up. I cannot tell you how happy this makes me. @nicwilson.bsky.social @katebradbury.bsky.social

Last we had a single bird calling from the eaves in June for the first time. I'm pretty sure there was a pair dueting on the 10th in our roof and my son could hear flapping a calling from his top bunk. Then they went quiet. Have we not passed muster or are they just a bit in and out still?

Book Launch: Land Beneath the Waves by Nic WIlson Join us for the debut book launch of "Land Beneath the Waves" by Nic Wilson, Hitchin author and Guardian nature writer

My book launch of #LandBeneaththeWaves is now online, tickets available from @nextpagebooksuk.bsky.social. If you're near #Hitchin, come and join us for drinks, music and chat about local nature and our relationship with it. Should be a fun evening! 😊🐸🌱🪰🦔🦉💚

#naturewriting #chronicillness #booksky

Blue-sky hive mind, I want to top my #wildlifepond with the rain butt water but it has been there a while and looks a bit brownish. Is it OK? We keep them covered. @nicwilson.bsky.social @katebradbury.bsky.social

Is this not a stock dove?

Now that I think about it, that chimney looks more like its convlex...

No hope of future wisdom and understanding of my greenhouse to plant ratio...?

My eyes are bigger than my greenhouse. Goodness knows what happens when they need potting on. You'd have thought I'd have learnt by now @nicwilson.bsky.social

#gardenwildlife upgrade! Alongside the newly laid hedge and in space made by that and removing an old conifer and brick firepit we have:

1 hibernaculum
1 rowan tree
5 square metres of newly sown perennial meadow

Very excited. Rain please! @nicwilson.bsky.social @katebradbury.bsky.social

Absolutely. So when they are sealed they are safe from whatever goes on over them, until they emerge next spring?

I adore these female tawny mining bees. They are welcome to vulcanise my entire lawn but I wanted to check how I keep them safe? Can I mow and when? No hurry but I (and presumably they) would prefer it shortish. Lots of long grass elsewhere. @katebradbury.bsky.social

Presumably, you would have to fence the site though...? What's the cost of that compared with xx saplings and tree guards, I wonder.

Some great citizen science projects that you could combine with nat regen and public access though. Sapling counts, species monitoring, etc. Do we do that?

I think the problem is more that tree planting is an active process. You can involve people and communities. You're doing something. Grant funders like it.

Natural regeneration projects you stick up a fence and walk away. How do communities invest in that? What's the offer? How do we sell it?

@katebradbury.bsky.social can you share you flower bee hotel "recipe" please? I didn't know they were a thing!

One horrid firepit that needs to go, some turf from re-edging the veg plot, a scattering of compost and hey presto, a mini-hibernaculum! No expensive top soil, no tip-run, more time for a coffee and throwing the doggie her ball (my true purpose).

#Wildlifegardening, more fun less effort!

A small snatch of blackcap song this morning by Hitchin Station, my first of the year and earliest for many. @hertsbirds.bsky.social

1 billion dollars *puts little finger in mouth*